Most people are never routinely screened for hepatitis B or C -- partly because there's a belief that there's nothing you can do for them -- but one doctor believes everyone should be screened because there seems to be a cure.

Around 600 million people around the world have hepatitis B or C, and thousands of people die from the viruses, according to statistics.

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Wallace Harding found out he had hepatitis C about nine years ago when, at a routine checkup, the nurse mistakenly tested him for it.

"They came back into the office and they said (I had) hep C, and I said, 'No way.' I went into denial at first. I didn't believe it -- didn't want to believe it," Harding said.

Having no symptoms is not unusual for the virus, according to doctors, so Wallace had no idea how he contracted hepatitis C. He said he thought maybe it was his tattoos.

"Maybe those old tattoo parlors back in the day. Not today -- I'm sure everything is clean now -- but back in the '70s, lifestyles were a little crazier," he said.

Hepatitis B and C are spread through contaminated blood, so an infected needle from a tattoo or a piercing could be the cause.

When Harding received his diagnosis, the only treatment available to him was interferon injections, which have serious side effects. He said he didn't respond to the drug, so he stopped treatment.

The possible outcomes for hepatitis B and C aren't good. They include cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer and liver failure, which is why Mercy Medical Center's Dr. Paul Thuluvath said he wants testing for the viruses to become routine.

"Ideally, everyone should be tested. It's a simple blood test that can rule in or rule out hep B or C," Thuluvath said.

So Why Aren't People Routinely Tested?

He said part of the issue is that doctors have other conditions to worry about, such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease, but the other problem is that there's no diagnosis code to support a routine test.

"If they have abnormal liver enzymes, then they can check, but if they have normal liver tests -- perfectly healthy -- they don't have an (internal classification of diseases) code," Thuluvath said.

ICD codes are codes insurance companies use to determine payment, so if a test is run for a disease without a reason, the company may deny payment. Thuluvath said what's needed is education for doctors and insurance companies.

"In the long run, they will benefit. If we detect people at the early stage, we can prevent the progression to cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer," he said, adding that it will also save money in the long run by reducing the need for liver transplants, which are extremely expensive.

Who's Most At Risk

Although Thuluvath said he believes everyone should be routinely screened, intravenous drug users are especially at risk, as are health care workers who handle needles. He also said anyone who had a blood transfusion before 1992 or lived in a country with lower health standards should be tested.

Less commonly, the virus can be spread through unprotected sex. Thuluvath said spouses of hepatitis sufferers should definitely be tested.

Study Using Drug Combo Shows Hope

Years after deserting treatment, Harding found his way to Thuluvath's office, where they found in July that his disease had progressed. He became part of a new study that had him on a three-drug cocktail, plus interferon.

After two weeks, he got a call from Thuluvath's nurse.

"She said, 'Wallace, we have some good news for you. Your viral load -- which is a count load that they do -- has gone from 4 million to under 300.' And the next day I was totally cleared of the virus," Harding said.

He said it's kind of like a miracle.

"I have to admit that when she called and told me, I broke down and cried like a baby for about 10 minutes. It had to be one of the better moments in my life," Harding said.

Months later, Harding is still clear of the hepatitis C virus.

Thuluvath said that a code for routine screening for hepatitis C will be in the IDC code list in 2013. He said he believes that within about five years, patients will not have to deal with injections and possibly be on only one pill that's taken for three to six months to be completely cured.